Taking US Highway 64 east in North Carolina leads road trippers to the popular destinations of Roanoke Island the the Outer Banks. However, if travelers are looking for some adventure along this route prior to those stops, Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge may be the perfect spot. Just beyond Alligator River Bridge on US 64 that passes over East Lake, this national refuge is home to one of the largest black bear populations in the United States and the only spot in the world where red wolves still roam wild. The park offers numerous opportunities to enjoy this wildlife including: howling safaris, tram tours, paddling trails, canoe tours and driving trails. Anglers can also enjoy fishing here.
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Bodie Island Lighthouse is the first one going south from Nags Head. It isn't open to the public, but there is a visitor center and the tower does photograph nicely. This is an excellent place for bird-watching and hiking.
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Carolina Ziplines offers two hours of exhilarating fun for all ages zipping on cables on a wooded hillside guided by knowledgeable and extremely cordial hosts. (Get them talking about the fascinating history of the property.) For added thrills, try zipping simultaneously with a partner on one particular cable. And for the truly adventurous, there's also a lantern tour available at night. Tours depart several times daily, year-round.
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A premier skiing destination in the Smoky Mountains for more than 50 years, Cataloochee offers 16 slopes for skiing, snowboarding and snowtubing. Full equipment rentals, lessons, low rates and special activities (including races) make this a fun winter destination for all ages.
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Its namesake rock formation has been towering over this terrain for 535 million years, but there's a much more recent means of accessing the top: an elevator built into the mountain. It will transport you to a plateau where you'll get an amazing view of the landscape. There are plenty of other activities available in the park, including rock climbing and some excellent hiking trails, which encompass the magnificent Hickory Nut Falls. If this 400-foot waterfall looks familiar to you, it may be because you saw it in the Hollywood film 'Last of the Mohicans'.
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This 10,400 acre park is administered by the North Carolina Forest Service. Trails in this forest run from easy to difficult. The most popular is the Triple Falls Trail, which parallels the Little River and visits several waterfalls. Wading and swimming are
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For many years it was the site of a surplus store and then a thrift store. But its owner amassed an oddball collection of knickknacks that became the basis for this delightfully offbeat museum/ art gallery in downtown Greensboro. Children and adults of all ages will love romping through and playing with the motley collections of antique toys, books, and commercial products that almost defy categorization. In one section, visitors can hurl rubber balls at an assemblage of old musical instruments (including the guts of a piano) to produce random, sometimes very creative, musical sounds. Elsewhere's resident artist program draws artists from all over the world and gives the public a chance to be exposed to their work.
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You're locked in a room and you have an hour to find your way out, using the clues scattered all around you. It's a concept that has been popular in Europe, and now you can experience it in grand fashion in Charlotte. At Exit Strategy, you have your choice of being locked in a room with a Seventies motif, or the Cabin in the Woods. Come with your brain fully engaged, as you will be tested on observation, memory, logic and lateral thinking. But just in case you get stuck, your host will be observing you on a monitor and communicating via walkie-talkie with as many hints as you need or request - or letting you know if you do
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The Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway east of Asheville is home to the Southern Highland Craft Guild. Showcased are traditional and contemporary crafts of the Southern Appalachians. In addition to three galleries, library and shop run by the Guild, you can obtain information
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